How to Use the Groundswell Better? Reading#1

Let me ask you a question first. Are you a creator or a visitor on the internet? According to the statistics of Chapter3 in Groundswell, only 20%-30% of internet users are creators. In that case, we can say more than 60% of users are visitors. They check and share information, videos and blogs every day. That is not enough. The more active creators are, the more audiences they can get. The more you involve with Groundswell, the better you can use it.

    Why do we need to participate in the groundswell? In the book the author mentioned people join the groundswell because “they can keep up friendships, make new friends, succumb to social pressure from existing friends and pay it forward.” Some people also have “altruistic impulse, prurient impulse, creative impulse, validation impulse and affinity impulse” which encourage them to create.

    It is not enough if you only have the enthusiasm about creating on the internet. You have to know your customers, make friends with your customers. Customers will open their hearts to you, and tell you what they really want. What you have to do first is to listen. Listening is a two-way strategy. Customers can monitor the brands they are interested in, and organizations can know their customers by checking their social technographics profile. One of the benefits that internet give us is openness. Absorbing information is the first step of listening. You can only win customers’ trust when you know them well. “In the groundswell, relationships are everything. The way people connect with each other—the community that is created—determines how the power shifts. (Groundswell, p18)” People become to the host instead of creators in the groundswell. It is all about satisfy the audience.

    What should we do after we know our customers and audiences? Let’s talk to them. There are so many ways that can make you heard. You can post a viral video. You can engage in social networks and user-generated content sites. And you may join the blogosphere and create a community. The author of the book “Groundswell” gave ten tips for successful blogging. They suggest you “start by listening, determine a goal for the blog, estimate the ROI, develop a plan, rehearse, develop an editorial process, design the blog and its connection to your site, develop a marketing plan so people can find the blog, remember blogging is more than writing, and be honest.”(p.117) I believe that the more you give to the groundswell, the more you can get from it. Let’s start to talk to the groundswell instead of just listening.

    Source: Groundswell, Expanded and Revised Edition: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies